By Tyler Beasley, Head of Business Intelligence at Velocity Clinical Research
The future of successful clinical trials will be written in data. Generative AI (GenAI) is already transforming how Sponsors, CROs, and sites approach research, but the real impact will come when AI is deployed with scale and smart infrastructure. That’s where Velocity’s model gives us a unique advantage; we’ve built an integrated site network where data is AI-ready from day one.
The value of any AI system is only as strong as the quality, volume, and consistency of the data it can access. Velocity’s infrastructure ensures that our data is structured, standardized, and ready for the reality of AI.
Scale & Smart Infrastructure: The Foundation for GenAI
Velocity is the leading fully integrated clinical research site corporation, with 70+ owned locations across the U.S. and Europe, and expansion underway in LATAM. Unlike affiliate-model site networks, direct ownership means every site runs on the same technology stack, standard operating procedures (SOP) and training, which produces standardized, structured, and consistent data across our global footprint.
That standardization matters. It allows us to:
- Activate sites and recruit patients faster (97 days from contract to first patient in – 3× faster than CROs, 2× faster than other site networks).
- Deliver predictable patient access from a 1.5 million–strong database, 20% of whom are outside traditional urban and hospital centers.
- Run a paperless, smart infrastructure with centralized feasibility, regulatory, and recruitment functions supported by a global quality management system.
We’ve invested seven figures into our technology backbone, powered by an in-house team of 80+ engineers in Hyderabad. These resources allow us to partner credibly with leading tech providers, where we’re piloting agentic AI and digital twin operations to automate complex, high-volume processes.
Velocity’s advantage is in generating data that we govern, structure, and scale, making it usable for advanced AI applications.
GenAI for Patients: Reducing Burden, Improving Access
GenAI should make the clinical trial experience better for patients. That’s why we built VISION, the first end-to-end platform designed by a clinical trial site organization.
- VISION Engage: A patient-facing tool that enables two-way communication with trial staff, lets participants upload health data, self-screen, schedule visits, and stay informed throughout the trial journey. By automating admin tasks, it reduces the burden on both patients and site staff.
- VISION Recruit: Intelligent algorithms match participants to trials based on eligibility, history, and preferences, using a semantic lens and not just a language model. This has accelerated recruitment by up to 650% versus traditional methods, with over 10,000 patients randomized through VISION to date.
- Equity in Access: Our AI models highlight underserved communities to broaden representation, ensuring clinical trials are accessible care options for more people. We combine this with placing sites outside of urban areas, to increase accessibility.
GenAI for Sponsors & CROs: From Assumptions to Predictive Insights
Sponsors and CROs want predictability, and that’s exactly where GenAI can deliver value. For example, we’re expanding our feasibility toolkit and AI plays a crucial role in delivering deeper insights rooted in real-world performance data.
By analyzing years of historical trial data across sites and PIs, we can:
- predict recruitment potential and operational readiness.
- model retention likelihood with greater accuracy.
- provide Sponsors with evidence-based feasibility assessments.
We’ve also launched the Velocity Insight Platform (VIP) in partnership with a top-five pharma company, providing near real-time monitoring of enrollment, deviations, and patient experience metrics across all U.S. sites. Europe is next.
This system replaces manual, Excel- and PDF-based data transfers with structured, interactive dashboards that enable proactive decision-making.
Predictive modeling is also helping Sponsors forecast recruitment trajectories and adjust strategies mid-study, reducing delays without compromising quality.
The Bottom Line
Velocity is shaping how it’s applied in one of the most complex and high-stakes industries in the world. Our smart infrastructure, powered by our site ownership model and patient-centric technology, enables us to deploy AI responsibly, with real-world benefits for patients, sponsors, and CROs. The result is a faster, more predictable, and more equitable research process for everyone involved in clinical trials.
